ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — Paxton Warden went back to his former school and flat-out owned the day. The senior delivered a season-high 25 points on 5-of-13 shooting, buried 5-of-10 from three, and was automatic at the line (10-of-10 FT) as Parkside closed the 2025 calendar year with a convincing 73-54 road win over Lewis on Saturday at Neil Carey Arena.

Parkside set the tone immediately and never let Lewis breathe. After a pair of early misses, Warden drilled a three at the 19:00 mark for the first points of the game, and the Rangers' pressure and pace took over from there. Lewis didn't score until 16:08, and by the time the Flyers finally got on the board, Parkside already had momentum — and it only built as the half went along.

The game's defining stretch was the first half, when Parkside's defense forced tough looks and its offense stacked points without needing to live in the paint. The Rangers hit six threes in the opening 20 minutes and, more importantly, lived at the stripe — going a perfect 16-of-16 on free throws in the first half. Lewis, meanwhile, attempted zero free throws before halftime and shot just 8-of-40 (20.0 percent) from the floor in the opening period. By the break, Parkside had opened a commanding 36-18 advantage, with the Flyers stuck at 2-of-17 from three and chasing from the opening minutes.

While Warden was the headline — and kept cashing in at the foul line all afternoon — the Rangers got major support from Josiah Palmer, who continued his hot shooting with 14 points and four more threes (4-of-9). Palmer's first triple gave Parkside breathing room at the 10:26 mark of the first half, and he added another late in the half as the Rangers stretched the gap to 17 and never looked back. Parkside also got key first-half scoring from Braden McGlothlin, who knocked down a three in the middle of a 12-4 surge, and the Rangers' control on the glass helped them keep resetting possessions.

Lewis made its best push early in the second half behind Arius Alijosius, who finished with a game-high 22 points and was the Flyers' most consistent source of offense. He opened the half with a transition bucket and free throw, then kept attacking to trim the margin, including a three at 16:26 that brought Lewis within 42-28. But every time the Flyers hinted at momentum, Parkside answered — usually from beyond the arc. Palmer hit a jumper and then a three in the first two minutes of the half to restore separation, and the Rangers kept stacking threes in response to every Lewis run.

And when it was time to slam the door, Warden did it himself — twice in a little over 90 seconds. With Lewis within 14 after a pair of fast-break layups, Warden buried a three at 9:16 to push the lead back to 17, then drilled another at 7:38 to make it 64-43, effectively ending any comeback hopes. That shot-making — plus his constant trips to the line — was the clearest difference in the game. Parkside finished 21-of-23 at the stripe (91.3 percent), while Lewis went 7-of-8 and didn't attempt a free throw until after halftime.

Parkside also controlled key "winning" areas for a road game. The Rangers won the rebounding battle 48-38, created 11 second-chance points, and held Lewis to 5-of-27 from three (18.5 percent) for the day. Even with Parkside committing 18 turnovers, the Rangers' defense kept Lewis inefficient (just 21-of-71 overall) and the lead never changed hands, as Parkside led for the full 40 minutes.

Behind Warden and Palmer, Parkside's supporting cast filled in the rest of the story. Luka Mateski chipped in nine points and hit a key three in the second half; Zach Behn added six points, knocked down 4-of-4 free throws, and pulled down six rebounds; and Ethan Ivan was efficient off the bench with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting and 2-of-3 from deep, along with a team-high three assists. On the defensive end, Fawaz Surakat anchored the paint with 10 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals as Parkside limited Lewis to just 18 first-half points and kept the Flyers from living at the rim for long stretches.

For Lewis, Alijosius led the way with 22, while Ryan Hall scored 10 and hit 2-of-8 from three, but the Flyers never found enough shooting to match Parkside's 14 made threes, and the early deficit proved too steep to overcome.

With the win, Parkside improves to 5-4, while Lewis falls to 2-8. The Rangers will break for the holidays before returning home to De Simone Arena for GLIAC play, hosting Roosevelt at 3 p.m. CT on New Year's Day (Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026).

To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.